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Grenfell: Joint
statement by ATL, AEP, NAHT and NUT about need for housing for the children who
survived and for support for their schools & classmates.
"In the
aftermath of the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower, teachers, school
leaders and psychologists offer their deepest sympathy to the thousands of
people whose lives have been affected by it. We give our sincere respect, once
more, to our valiant emergency services.
We call on the
government and on the local authority to support the magnificent work of local
schools and take immediate measures to provide for the security, shelter
and well-being of North Kensington’s children.
All families who have
been affected by the fire should be housed as quickly as possible in
high-quality accommodation in the immediate area, if that is what they wish.
School is one area of
children’s lives which can provide them with care and stability. It is
essential that children continue to attend their own school, with teachers and
other staff who know them and can support them, and their families. We
know that those who work in education are rising to this challenge. They will
need the full support of those around them.
All schools which
have on their roll children from Grenfell Tower, and the area around it, must
be provided with counsellors and other necessary resources.
The government and
the local authority must ensure that provision is in place throughout the
summer months, and in the years ahead.
The residents of
Grenfell Tower feel that they have been failed by a system that should have
protected them. We now have a chance to show them a different face of
government - one that takes responsibility for their care and support when they
are most vulnerable.
Mary Bousted,
Association of Teachers & Lecturers
Kate Fallon,
Association of Educational Psychotherapists
Russell Hobby,
National Association of Head Teachers
Kevin Courtney,
National Union of Teachers
